Flight simulation software has always been among the more popular of the personal computer game genres. The quality of the flight simulation and the realism of the graphics for the aircraft and the scenery around the simulated aircraft continue to improve with each new version of the flight simulator programs, and as a result of the increased speed of graphic display adapter cards and processors. One of the more popular programs of this type is FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002™, which is produced and distributed by Microsoft Corporation. This program enables a novice to learn to fly by providing instruction in various aspects of flying and by simulating the presence of an instructor in the cockpit, for purposes of demonstrating flying principles and expertise and explaining how to pilot an aircraft. The user can choose between various types of aircraft, including Boeing Corporation's 747-400, 737-300, and 777-400 commercial jet aircraft, several models of Cessna aircraft (including a floatplane version), a Learjet 45 business jet, a Bell 206B JetRanger III helicopter, a Sopwith Camel, and a Schweizer 2-32 sailplane. Multi-player capability and features related to the multi-player aspect of the software enable interaction with other participants over the Internet (or other network) while flying a simulation.
While the variety of aircraft that are provided in the FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002™ program and other flight simulator programs are relatively extensive, the more dedicated flight simulator hobbyist will likely want to modify an existing design and eventually create his/her own aircraft design, and then test the design by flying it within the flight simulation program. Many parameters controlling an aircraft's design affect how it will fly (or even if it will fly). Therefore, it is important that an appropriate flight dynamics editing program provide a relatively user-friendly interface to enable these parameters to be efficiently selected by a user. Once the user has created a design or modified an existing design for an aircraft by choosing specific parameters, another program module must then implement the design by generating flight model data for the aircraft, based on the selected parameters. To enable the user to test the flight characteristics of the design in the flight simulation program, the flight model data that are thus generated must be in a form that is compatible with the flight simulator program. For example, FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002™ requires that the flight model data for an aircraft be provided in an aircraft.air file and an aircraft.cfg file (where the italicized word “aircraft” in the name of the “aircraft.air” file is replaced with a specific word or phrase identifying the aircraft). The aircraft.air file includes binary data that define aerodynamic coefficients and non-linear tables of data for an aircraft, while the aircraft.cfg file includes parameters other than flight data, such as specification of the type and design of the landing gear and scaling factors that are to be applied to the aerodynamic data.
Earlier versions of Microsoft Corporation's FLIGHT SIMULATOR™ program included an add-on program called “FLIGHT SHOP™” that enabled some editing of the parameters for an aircraft design, but it is not usable with the FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002 program, since the add-on program produces only a single data file that is not compatible with the current flight simulator program.
An alternative flight simulator program called X-PLANE™, as described on the X-PLANE web page (http://www.x-plane.com/descrip.html), “reads in the geometric shape of any aircraft and then figures out how that aircraft will fly. It does this by an engineering process called ‘blade element theory,’ which involves breaking the aircraft down into many small elements and then finding the forces on each little element many times per second. These forces are then converted into accelerations which are then integrated to velocities and positions.” The X-PLANE program is sold with an additional program called PLANE MAKER™ that enables a user to enter the dimensions of the aircraft, which are then processed by the program to determine how the plane will fly. However, X-PLANE determines how the plane will fly using “blade element theory,” which is not as accurate with respect to the forces or stability characteristics of a complete aircraft as the more classical design approach in which the forces of each of the various aircraft components are determined based on the equations of motion and Newtonian physics.
This classical technique is disclosed in connection with a software program called AIRPLANE PDQ™, which as described on the web page for this product (http://www.davincitechnologies.com/AirplanePDQ.htm) is “a conceptual/preliminary design tool for light homebuilt and general aviation aircraft. In AIRPLANE PDQ™, a CAD program is employed for producing airplane drawings of an aircraft.” The user enters specific parameters and chooses from among several aircraft configuration options, such as high wing, low wing, tricycle gear, or tail-dragger. Sizing calculations are carried out, and an initial three-view drawing of the aircraft is produced based on the user's input. Interactive analysis is employed to verify the design's performance and to determine any changes to the design required for safety or to meet other criteria. However, this product is intended to facilitate the design of an actual aircraft and does not produce flight model data that can be employed in a flight simulator program to evaluate the flying characteristics of the design that was created.
Software products such as those produced by DARCorporation (web site at http://www.darcorp.com/Software/software.htm), are available to facilitate the design of commercial aircraft, based on the determination of lift and other aerodynamic properties for each component of an aircraft design. However, such products are again unable to produce flight model data for an aircraft that can be used to test the aircraft flight dynamics in a real-time flight simulation. It is particularly important that a product be able to produce data that are compatible with a widely respected and available flight simulator program, such as Microsoft Corporation's FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002™, since the value of creating and testing a design is best appreciated in a flight simulator with which the user is most familiar.
Accordingly, it will be apparent that there was a substantial need to develop a feature for use in a flight simulation program such as FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002 that would enable a user to create an aircraft design, generate compatible aircraft data based on the classic development of aerodynamic characteristics of the design, and then test the flying characteristics of the design in the flight simulation program. None of the other prior art programs noted above provide the full desired functionality or produce flight model data that are compatible with the FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002™ program.